GO FOR IT, WOMEN TOLD
WOMEN should offer themselves for elective positions as Members of Parliament and Councillors, Gender Minister Elizabeth Phiri has said.
Ms Phiri said there was need for women to stop shunning politics and make themselves available, if the country’s goal for gender parity in decision making was to be achieved.
The minister said this when she officiated at the launch of the Non-Governmental Gender Organisations’ Coordinating Council (NGOCC) women’s Coordinated Elections Campaign Strategy (CECS) in Lusaka.
“I want to appeal, to women to offer themselves for elective positions as Members of Parliament and Councillors. Currently, women’s representation in Parliament is at about 17.2 percent down from 18.1 percent, recorded after the 2016 General Elections. This is despite the fact that women constitute almost 51 percent of the country’s population,” Ms Phiri said.
She stressed Government’s commitment towards gender equality.
Ms Phiri noted that President Edgar Lungu had over the years demonstrated Government’s desire to bring about greater gender equity and equality at the highest level.
She said that was evidenced by the adoption of Vice President Inonge Wina as a running mate prior to the 2016 elections.
“It has always been the desire of the government to ensure that we have equal representation of both men and women in politics and decision-making positions. The government through the Ministry of Gender therefore, remains committed to working with civil society and the women’s movement to ensure that we have more women in Parliament and Local Government after the 2021 general elections,” she said.
And NGOCC board chairperson Mary Mulenga in her welcome remarks said while the women’s movement recognised the strides that the country has made towards empowering women for leadership, the yawning gap between women and men in leadership should never be seen as normal. She said natural justice demands that women are considered equitably even as they aspire for leadership.
“The breaking of barriers that hinder women’s participation in politics cannot happen by accident.. There should be no room for discrimination or any form of stereotype. The Coordinated Elections Campaign Strategy is premised on unity of purpose by all stakeholders,” Ms. Mulenga said.
Meanwhile, Zambia National Women’s Lobby Executive Director Juliet Chibuta said it was unfortunate that globally, girls and women continued to be marginalised from the political sphere due to obstructive laws and institutional obstacles, prejudiced cultural practices, and disproportionately low access to quality education, healthcare, and resources.
Ms Phiri It has always been the desire of the government to ensure that we have equal representation of both men and women in politics and decision-making positions.